Electrical switch



L. AIRHART.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICAIION FILED JAN. 28, I919.

1,339,591 1. Patented y 11, 1920.

V umzmf op UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

LEWIS AIRHART, OF WEST READING, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIG-NOR TO TEXTILE MACHINE WORKS, OF WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs AInHAn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vest Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches, of which the'following is a specification. I

invention relates particularly to electrical switches arranged to make and break contact under oil, and it consists in the improved construction hereafter fully described in connection with the. accompanying drawing and the novel features of which are clearly defined in the claims.

Figure his a sectional elevation, on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a switch embodying my invention in preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a separate view of the finger insulating ring with a depending finger attached thereto.

The switch casing, as shown, is formed in two cylindrical parts, the lower one 5 of which serves as an oil container, while the upper one 6 is fixedly secured thereon in axial alinement.

This extension 6 of the oil container casing 5 has a bottom plate which forms an apertured partition 7 between the oil containing chamber 9 of the casing 5 and a wire-container chamber 8 of the part 6; and the latter is provided also with a top plate, a portion 10 of which is separately formed, as shown, to serve as a removably secured cover, while another portion 11 is formed integral.

The switch shaft 15 which carries the movable contacts, is vertically mounted in central bearing apertures 16, 17 of the top and bottom plates 10 and 7 respectively, and is provided with a suitable operating lever 20-21 having a pointer 22 which indicates upon the plate 10 the position of the contacts.

This switch shaft passes downward through the bearing apertures 16 and 17 of the casing 6 and through a separately formed insulating ring 25 preferably made of wood, which is axially secured to the under side of the partition 7, and it is supported by a collar 26 as indicated. At its lower end is secured a metal head 27 to which is fixed a separately formed insulating-shaft extension 28 of enlarged diameter,v also preferably made of wood, to which the upper ends to the grooved wall of the insulating ring 25 in connection with. brass terminal plates 36, 36 each of which latter is provided with a wire-binding screw 37; and a copper contact 38 is fixed to the free end of each finger so as to properly make a break connection with the respective contacts 29 on the movable shaft extension 28.

The feed and motor wires are conducted into the casing chamber'8 through a conduit pipe 40 secured in a conduit aperture 41 thereof; and the several wires are spread apart in said chamber and passed through separate guide apertures 42, 42 provided therefor in the partition 7 adjacent the respective finger terminals, to which the ends are properly connected by said binding screws 37.

As indicated the contacts are adapted for A. C. motors connected to two phase four wire circuits and used to stop and start a connected machine; the switch leverextension 21 being connected to a suitable shafting rod, and duplicate on and off markings appearing on the cover plate 10 to provide for employing the switch on the right or left side of the machine. The contacts 29 are arranged in different planes on the movable. shaft extension 28, and the co6perating contact fingers 35 are/of different lengths to correspondingly locate the contacts 38, as indicated in Fig. 1.

By varying the number and length of the poles however the switch may obviously be adapted for- D. C. motors and three phase connection, or to take off a shunt current; as desired; the invention consisting in the improved and simplified construction set forth as defined in the claims.

What 1 claim is 1. An electrical switch comprising a casing formed with an oilreceiving chamber, a

wire-inclosing chamber, an apertured parti tion between said chambers, and an apertured cover for sald wire-lnclosing chamher; a switch shaft rotatably mounted in said partition and cover and carrying a depending insulating drum provided with connected contacts; cooperating contact fingers insulatedly secured to said partition; and feed and motor wires in said inclosing chamber separately conducted through said apertured partition and fixedly connected to the respective contact fingers.

2. In an electrical switch, a casing comprising an oil-receptacle portion and a connected wirc-inclosing portion; a switch shaft mounted in said wire-inclosing portion, and carrying an insulating drum depending into said oil-receptacle I portion and provided with connected contacts; depending cooperating contact fingers insulatedly secured to said wire-inclosing portion within said oilreceptacle portion; and finger-connected wires extending into and through said wireinclosing portion.

3. In an electrical switch comprising a rotatable switch shaft carrying insulatedly connected contacts, and an oil-container casing therefor; a casing extension forming a wire-inclosing chamber, a partition between the latter and said oil-container, and upper and lower bearings for said shaft, and provided with depending contact fingers insulatedly secured to the partition-forming portion thereof; the upper shaft-bearing portion of said extension forming a separable cover.

4t. In an electrical switch comprising a rotatable switch shaft, and an oil-container casing; a separable casing extension adapted to serve as a wire conduit and shaft hearing; a separately formed contact-carrying shaft extension of insulating material; and a separately formed ring of insulating material axially secured to said separable casing extension and having contact fingers cooperatively secured thereto. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEWIS AIR-HART. 

